New Teacher on the Block
by Kayla-Shay
Summary: A muggle teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts? Hogwarts will never be the same again!
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE**: New Teacher on the Block

**AUTHOR**: Kayla Shay

**DISCLAIMER**: BtVS is owned by Joss Whedon and respective parties while all things Harry Potter are JK Rowling's.

**NOTES**: Found on the back page of a writing journal, so don't expect much. Thanks to Demona for the summary!

Chapter 1: The Long Year Ahead

Xander stood in the back room attached to the classroom that served as his new office. Nerves were getting the better of him as he began his mental pep talk.

'Okay,' he told himself, 'you can teach kids. They will listen and enjoy class. They will not make your life a living hell… Oh, for… I just damned myself. Now, no matter what, I will fail miserably. Why did I get volunteered for this job in the first place? Why me!?'

His mind paused at the sudden sound of chatter from within the classroom. 'Voices. Oh merciful Zeus. The first class is here.' He moved to the cracked door in front of him to peek out. 'Let's see… That Potter kid and his friends, that will be good.'

Looking over the other students gathering in the classroom, his eyes came to a dead stop on a white-blond head. 'Oh hellfires, I've got a mini-Spike in my first class. I'm doomed.'

Gathering his resolve, he pushed the door open and after a giant gulp for courage, he opened his mouth. "I'm Alexander Harris, just call me Harris and don't bother with that professor stuff. Um," he stuttered as his brain threatened to shut down, "welcome to the first day of Defense Against the Dark Arts, or as I plan to call it, How Anyone with Half a Brain can Save His Own Ass."

His mental tirade returned, 'No laughs, and judging by the shocked look on that Hermy girl's face, I shouldn't have used the word 'ass' in front of impressionable young minds. This is going to be one long year…'


	2. The Boy Who Can Charm

**TITLE**: New Teacher on the Block

**AUTHOR**: Kayla Shay

**DISCLAIMER**: BtVS is owned by Joss Whedon and respective parties while all things Harry Potter are JK Rowling's.

**NOTES**: Since those who reviewed asked so nicely, here is part two. Again, don't expect much. Thanks to Demona for looking something up for me.

Chapter 2: The Boy Who Can Charm

Professor Snape sat in the far corner of the professor's lounge with a deep scowl spread across his face. His mental voice was ranting about the newest addition to the Hogwarts staff.

'Why was I passed over again while this _muggle_ was given the job of teaching young wizards the complexities of defending themselves against the dark arts? Dumbledore has taken leave of his faculties for sure this time.' If one were looking close enough, they would see a dark, vicious cloud hanging over the potions professor.

He continued to stare at the gaggle of professors surrounding the obnoxious Xander Harris. He tuned into what was being said when he noticed Madam Pomfrey's face contort with concern and then anger.

"Why those barbaric muggle doctors! Don't they know that syphilis can be cured with a simple symphilos draught made from sage salt and onions? Any first year mediwitch student knows that potion." She continued muttering to herself about the horrible conditions in which muggles must live due to poor medical treatment.

Xander had a puzzled look on his face as if searching for a memory, "But Buffy said that was the stuffing ingredients…" His sentence faded out as the other female professors patted him on his shoulders to comfort him from the memories of his past ordeal.

Snape snorted as he heard the boy go into a new story about his encounter with Dracula, calling him the Dark Master. 'Everyone knows Dracula is a myth created by muggles,' Snape thought to himself. 'That boy wouldn't know a Dark Master if the Dark Lord himself were standing right in from of him.'

Snape continued to observe how the other professors were acting around Harris, especially those of the female persuasion. It was seeing Madam Hooch spontaneously hug the boy that caused Snape to come to a startling realization. 'That boy must be using some kind of influence charm or potion,' his mind snapped. 'That is the only explanation for how he wormed his way into the hearts of the Hogwarts staff in only two days.'

Snape began a mental list of all the potions and charms he could recall that would deliver those results for a muggle. But even if he found proof of the boy's tampering, he would still need a way to remove him from the castle.

It was then that inspiration struck, 'Potter and his friends have driven off every defense teacher in some way or another. I will just need to start them on the trail of Harris and they will take care of the rest.'

Snape chuckled to himself as he wrapped his robes around him and swept out of the lounge. He then made is way to the dungeons to contemplate his plan for the removal of Alexander Harris from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	3. Interview Without the Vampire

**TITLE**: New Teacher on the Block

**AUTHOR**: Kayla Shay

**DISCLAIMER**: BtVS is owned by Joss Whedon and respective parties while all things Harry Potter are JK Rowling's.

Chapter 3: Interview Without the Vampire

"Why hasn't he assigned any homework yet? It's been one week and not even a 'describe your summer to me' essay!" Hermione ranted as they exited their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "He has to be the most inept…" she was cut off as she ran straight into Harry's back.

"Harry, what did you stop for?"

Harry pointed a finger down the corridor and hissed, "What is _she_ doing here?"

Hermione and Ron looked down the hall to see Rita Skeeter walking briskly toward them. "Come on Harry, let's leave before she gets here and if she so much as opens her mouth near you, I'll remind her of our 'deal'." Hermione was actually looking forward to a confrontation when Rita walked right past them and strode into the classroom, shutting the door behind her.

The trio stood in the corridor with dumbstruck expressions while staring at the closed door. "What do you suppose she wants with him?" Hermione questioned, as if puzzled why anyone would want to speak with the inept professor.

"I don't know, but it can't be good," Ron replied as the three started toward the dormitories. They did not notice Snape in the corner with something resembling a smile inching across his face.

-----

Xander looked up at the sound of the door closing to see a blond woman in scarlet robes weaving through the vacant desks toward him. She was carrying a crocodile-skin bag and Xander swore he saw the tail swishing off the end of it. Focusing back on the mystery woman, he spoke up, "Uh, can I help you?"

"If you are Professor Alexander Harris, then yes you can," she gave him an appraising look from top to bottom before repeating in a slightly deeper tone, "yes you can…" Then straitening her robes as if just realizing where she was, she continued, "I'm Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter. I am here to interview of Hogwarts newest sensation."

"Uh, okay," Xander stuttered, unsure what to say. He watched as she pulled out parchment and a quill that began to hover over the parchment while she turned back to him.

"Now, let's get down to business. You are a muggle, are you not?"

"Well, I guess so. I mean I don't do magic. At least not with a wand like everyone here does," Xander responded and to his amazement the quill was working across the parchment on its own volition.

"I see. So you do use magic," she paused to glance at the quill that was scratching away furiously.

"Uh, no, not really. Magic and I are like," he stopped, trying to think of a good analogy. "Let's just say that we don't mix well. Bad things tend to happen when I'm involved in the mojo working."

Rita's face lit up like Christmas had come early. "You admit to working dark magic then?"

Xander knocked a book off the desk he was sitting at; the thud reverberated on the stone walls. "That's not what I said! I just meant that things don't work as intended when I'm involved in spells. What is that quill writing anyway?" He tried to lean over to get a glimpse, but was blocked by Rita.

"It's writing only what it hears Professor Harris. Now, you said that spells backfire when you are around, but you do not deny the fact that you have worked dark magic." Before Xander could interrupt her, Rita continued, "Now moving on to your time spent on the Sunnydale Hellmouth, you worked with current slayer, Buffy Summers, correct?"

Too stunned at the sudden turn of questioning, Xander could only nod.

"Ah, so you valiantly fought as a demon hunter along side the vampire slayer. How noble."

"Well, I was more of the donut fetcher. Buffy did the slaying, Giles did the reading, Willow did the mojo and I brought the sugar filled food," Xander spoke quickly. If the girls or Giles read an article where it looked like he bragged about being a demon hunter, he would never live it down.

"Oh, I see, so you were the slayer's servant," her quill scratched across the quickly filling parchment while she made clicking sounds.

"No! That's not what I was saying," Xander screeched. "I was _not_ Buffy's servant!" Just the thought sounded ludicrous to him.

"So you were resentful about serving the slayer?" Rita was practically glowing at the direction her interview was going.

"I did not serve Buffy," Xander said through clenched teeth. "We were, I mean are, friends."

Rita seized the opening, "You didn't always see eye to eye with slayer then. Why was that?"

"What?" Xander questioned. He was becoming more confused by the minute. "Friends have arguments, but it doesn't mean we don't get along. I even put up with rooming with Spike when she told me to." At that moment Xander realized he had said too much.

"Spike?" Rita flipped through some pages of notes in front of her. "Ah, the vampire, William the Bloody. You actually allowed one of the most notorious vampires in recent history to remain alive and live with you?" She swapped the full parchment for a new one as the quill kept scratching. Rita was mumbling in low tones while leaning over the quill, "Known associations with vampires, works dark magic and resentful of the slayer."

"Look," Xander practically shouted, "you're taking everything I say out of context. Spike was, well, at the time anyway, he was good. Soul having and everything." He crossed his arms and gave what he hoped was a menacing stare.

Rita looked up with a glow in her eyes. "In that case Professor Harris, I have one final question for you. Were you aware that Harry Potter was in attendance at Hogwarts when you agreed to Dumbledore's request?"

"Uh, yes. Him and this Voldemort dark wizard guy were the first things the new slayer council was told about when we were informed of the existence of the wizarding world." Xander looked up with hope that this was the first thing he had said during the whole interview that could not be misconstrued.

"So you came to Hogwarts with full knowledge of Mr. Potter and his connection to He Who Must Not Be Named. Good. Thank you for your time Professor Harris." Rita proceeded to collect her items and walk back the way she had come.

Xander watched her retreating form and a sense of dread settled in the pit of his stomach. Channeling Giles, he spoke out to the empty room, "Oh dear lord…"

-----

As seen on the front page of the Daily Prophet:

**A Daily Prophet Exclusive**

Our Youth in Peril

_From the Hellmouth to Hogwarts, this reporter's meeting with Professor Alexander Harris._

by Rita Skeeter

Before taking the position as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, muggle Alexander Harris lived on the Sunnydale Hellmouth. During his time there, he was in the employ of the active slayer. His main duty was catering all strategic planning sessions.

After the collapse of the Hellmouth, Professor Albus Dumbledore, approached the active slayer to inform her of the existence of the wizarding world. Upon learning this information, the slayer, Buffy Summers, agreed to send one of her people to serve as a liaison and professor at Hogwarts. She had this to say when approached about her decision to send Professor Harris, "Well, I was needed to train the new slayers, Dawn was too young, Giles is too busy and Willow is still finishing her recovery from her walk on the dark side, so Professor Harris was the only choice."

Upon meeting Professor Harris, his classroom seemed in disarray. Books were left lying on the floor. When answering questions asked by this reporter, Professor Harris often stuttered and retracted what had been said.

Most notably, Professor Harris admitted to using dark magic before, as well as harboring the vampire Spike, known also as William the Bloody. When questioned of his motives for agreeing to teach at Hogwarts, Professor Harris said he was aware that Harry Potter was in attendance… cont. on page 5


	4. Who You Gonna Call?

**TITLE**: New Teacher on the Block

**AUTHOR**: Kayla Shay

**DISCLAIMER**: BtVS is owned by Joss Whedon and respective parties while all things Harry Potter are JK Rowling's.

**NOTES**: The plot thickens as Harry and company try to learn what Professor Harris is really up to.

Chapter 4: Who You Gonna Call?

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in their usual corner of the library. Madam Pince all but left them alone now. They had a copy of the article from the Daily Prophet spread in front of them trying for the tenth time to make a connection to something.

"Look Harry, every Defense professor has had a reason to take interest in you. Why should this one be any different?" Hermione questioned her friend. "We just need to determine if he is here for a good reason like Professor Lupin was or here for…" she paused mid sentence and glanced at Harry.

"Or here for me because of Voldemort," Harry concluded for her, his voice dropping a bit. Ron and Hermione shifted slightly in their chairs. They knew all too way the threat that Voldemort was to Harry and to the world.

"He can't be all that bad," Hermione spoke up, trying to diffuse the tension. "He did work with the slayer on an active Hellmouth."

"That just means he's mental," Ron blurted out. "Who in their right mind would live on the Hellmouth?"

Harry looked down at Rita's article again. Logically, he knew that her article could be just as erroneous as all the articles she had written about him, Voldemort and pretty much any other subject. However, logic and persuasion from the written word didn't go hand in hand. He found himself being swayed in his opinion of the new professor by her words.

"How can we be sure he really worked with the slayer? What kind of slayer associates with vampire and dark witches instead of killing them? Maybe she wasn't even a true slayer. Is there anyway we can find out?" Harry's mind was turning as he thought on the possibilities this could lead to.

Hermione's face took on a thoughtful look, "I think I saw a book a few years ago titled _The Slayer's Handbook_. Maybe it could tell us more about the slayer and the Council of Watchers. Supposedly Professor Harris works for the Council. If what we find in the official book doesn't match with what we know of them, then maybe, just maybe we can learn something about his motives."

With a plan of action set, Ron and Harry started playing a game of wizard's chess while Hermione went to find the book. Perhaps they would learn more about the world that Professor Harris was suppose to be a part of.

-------------------------------------------

Xander ducked through a door in the third floor floor corridor as he saw a flock of students coming down the hall. Ever since that article had been released, life at Hogwarts had taken a plunge; not that it had been peachy to begin with. It seemed that even in class all the students were talking about him. Most were of the opinion that he was some kind of reject who pretended he could fight monsters in order to get the job.

The worst seemed to be seemed to be the Potter kid and his friends. They kept casting questionable looks his way and they always seemed to move papers and books hastily around and stop talking when he walked by.

Turning around, he realized he was in one the many restrooms throughout the castle. He did not recognize it, but that didn't surprise him. Even after two weeks in the school he was still hopelessly lost when he ventured off the path between his rooms and the Great Hall.

Walking over to one of the mirrors lining the wall he peered into it, watching his reflection carefully. Since the day Caleb poked his eye out, he had avoided spending much time in front of a mirror. Not that he was a narcissist before, but even seeing the eye patch in his reflection brought back memories of the pain. He shook his head at the reflection, wondering for the umpteenth time what exactly he was doing at this school. "I'm just a tag along. Maybe I really am jealous of Buffy like the crazy reporter lady said. What am I doing here?" Still staring at his reflection, he wasn't expecting what happened next.

"Yes! What _are_ you doing here? This is my restroom, a girl's restroom and my toilet."

Xander stumbled back in shock as what could only be a ghost barreled through the mirror at high speed and went right through him. With his typical luck, he slipped on a water puddle, lost his balance and fell flat on his ass. He thought for sure he heard, and felt, a definite crack when he stopped on the stone floor. Trying to scramble back to his feet and ignore the pain in his backside, he looked around for the ghost.

"Uh, hello miss, um," he paused thinking on a proper greeting for a ghost, "miss bathroom ghost. I didn't know this was your bathroom. I was just trying to get away and came in here and then I was using the mirror and…" It was a Scooby defense mechanism, when confused, scared, lost or all of the above, one must babble.

The ghost glided to a stop in front of him before she said, "I'm Myrtle and this is my bathroom. Who are you? You look to old to be a student."

He snorted, "I'm _suppose_ to be a teacher here, but I don't think that going too great. According to everyone I meet, I'm just a worthless wanna-be."

Myrtle gazed over him and noticed his lack of proper wizarding attire. "Well, you definitely don't look like any professor or wizard I've met."

"Oh, I'm not a wizard. I'm just a muggle according to you people. I work for the Slayer's Council and was assigned as the liaison between them and the wizarding world. Not that I'm doing a good job at it." He let out a sigh as he sake back down to the floor to sit Indian style while they talked. He almost hoped she would talk to him, ghost or not, because he was so lonely since coming to Hogwarts.

"The Slayer? My second cousin was a Slayer. She was a squib, so when the Watchers arrived to train her, her mum pushed her right out the door. I was jealous of her at the time. She got to go off on and die while I was stuck in going to school and being teased by everyone. 'Poor Myrtle, poor ugly Myrtle,' they always say."

Xander sat puzzled. How does one comfort a ghost? He settled for change of topic. "How come you're a ghost? I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, it's just, I'm curious how one can become a ghost."

Xander watched Myrtle's face light up, or whatever it was that showed a change in a ghost's feelings. "No one's asked me since that Harry Potter and his friend. Such a cute boy he is."

Xander gave an internal groan, he didn't think he was ready to listen to a ghost go on about her like for the Potter kid. But he was spared as she began her story on how she died.

"Oooh, it was dreadful," her eyes flickered with excitement, "and it happened right here."

As she finished, telling of the pair of great, big, yellow eyes, Xander became nervous. "So some monster attacked and killed you right in this bathroom and the entrance to this secret chamber is right over at that sink?" He glanced at the sink, looking for signs of impending doom.

"Oh yes, but Harry Potter killed it a few years ago by going into the chamber. He is very brave that one. But he doesn't like me. No one ever likes poor Myrtle," and with one final wail, she plunged into her toilet, sending up a spray of water.

Xander took the opportunity to bolt from the room. Even if she said the Potter boy killed the yellow-eyed monster, he wasn't about to take any chances. Hurrying down the corridor, he missed Harry and his friends walking toward the restroom from the other direction.

"What do you suppose he was doing in there?" Harry wondered out loud.

"Let's go ask Myrtle," Hermione suggested. "It may not be a coincidence that he was where the entrance to the Chamber is."

Walking through the restroom door, Hermione called out, "Myrtle? Are you around?"

"What do you want? Come to poke fun at poor Myrtle?" the ghost wailed from her toilet.

"Er, no," Harry said slowly not wanting to upset her further. "We were just wondering what Professor Harris was doing in here."

"Oh, him? He asked about how I died so I told him. He seemed most interested about the chamber and the monster."

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged nervous looks. It seemed that Professor Harris was not only interested in Harry but also the Chamber of Secrets. This meant they needed to work faster to determine what he was up to.

"Er, thanks for letting us know Myrtle. Well, we'll talk to you later," Harry said as he turned to the others. "Come on, let's go."

-------------------------------------------

Down in the dungeons, Professor Snape grasped his arm as a searing pain spread from his Dark Mark. Lord Voldemort was summoning him and he had no choice but to go. He left a hasty note for Professor Dumbledore explaining his absence and then headed out of the castle's protections in order to apparate.


	5. Que Sera, Sera

TITLE: New Teacher on the Block

AUTHOR: Kayla Shay

DISCLAIMER: BtVS is owned by Joss Whedon and respective parties while all things Harry Potter are JK Rowling's.

NOTES: This chapter is dedicated to Lin and ashez because they asked for some Trelawney play time in this messed up world. My take on Professor Trelawney's character and appearance is most certainly not be perfect. I played on the fact that Harry's first thought of her was to compare her to a glittering insect.

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Chapter 5: Que Sera, Sera

----

"Severus, tell me what you have learned of this new Defense Professor. Could he be a threat to our plans?" Voldemort's hissing low voice carried through the almost empty chamber.

Professor Snape shivered internally as he did anytime the Dark Lord's attention was focused solely on him. He clamped down on his errant thoughts and kept his eyes cast downward in a show of fidelity and responded. "He seems to be a non-entity my Lord," he paused to consider his next words. "It appears that this Council he works for sent the dregs of their organization which reflects the view of their alliance with the wizarding world."

"Ah…" Voldemort steepled his spindly fingers in front of his chin. "I have heard rumors of his group. It is said that if they see a threat, they work to extremes to remove that threat. If you are correct in your assessment…" he trailed off as a smile crept across his face.

From his kneeling position, Snape spoke up, "It is most certainly correct my Lord. The Slayer all but said he was sent as a last resort. I have taken the liberty of starting the process of discrediting him with the wizarding world. That reporter, Rita Skeeter, has proven most useful."

"Yes," Voldemort hissed, "the media can be most useful when removing a person's credibility. Most useful."

Snape seized on the Dark Lord's apparent good mood by adding, "The Potter boy and his friends are also leery of Harris and his organization. This may well prevent them from seeking aid from the Slayer and her ilk."

"Yes Severus, very good indeed. Now my loyal followers," he motioned for the core group of Death Eaters to move closer. "Let us conclude our plans and then take our pleasures with the new toy Wormtail has brought us."

Snape risked a glance at the chamber's side door where Peter Pettigrew was pulling a subdued muggle girl inside. He unconsciously formed a shield around his mind and heart to protect against what the rest of the night would entail.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Xander had decided that having free time in the castle meant for a very bored Xander. So it was with that in the front of his mind that he reached his destination, one of the highest towers in the castle. He was lugging a box full of herbal teas and incense that the divination professor, Sibyll Trelawney, had ordered through the Council's new catalog and, for the non-wizarding world, online store, _The Magic Box, Inc._.

Granted, he could have had one of those house elves deliver it, but they disturbed him, especially the one named Dobby. Dobby was constantly popping in on him, and always asking, in his screechy voice, "Mr. Harris, sir, need you anything sir?" He half expected the little elf was spying on him, but he didn't have the proof to back that theory up.

He now stood in a dead end corridor and there was no door in site. So he decided to call out, "Uh, hello? Anyone home around here?"

He waited a few moments and just when he figured he had the wrong part of the castle and was turning to leave, a ladder spiraled down from an opening in the ceiling. With a skeptical glance, Xander began the precarious climb up the ladder, balancing the box in front of him.

The stifling warmth of the room he emerged into struck him as he tried to stop from gagging at the heavily scents floating around. From his time spent helping Anya with the Magic Box inventory, he started mumbling the names of the various smells he could identify. "Sage, rosemary, sandalwood, pine birch," he paused, taking a deep breath, "cinnamon? What good is cinnamon for trying to tell the future?" He didn't notice his voice rise as he spoke.

"It's for my tea dear boy," a disembodied voice floated from the direction of a back closet. The sudden intrusion on his soliloquy startled Xander.

"Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to… The ladder," he gestured back to the hole he crawled out from, "it came down and I came up. Here's your delivery from _The Magic Box, Inc._" Xander was sure that his face was on fire as he frantically searched for a spot to ditch the boxes and make a run for it.

Then he saw it, causing some half-forgotten memory to surface from the back of his mind about the praying mantis lady from Sunnydale. The "thing" in front of him looked more bug-like than human, especially with the large, thick glasses perched on her nose, which caused the eyes behind them to magnify. Unsure how to react, Xander just stood with mouth hanging open and his one eye blinking rapidly.

Professor Trelawney approached the young man and suddenly let out a gasp and dropped her teacup. The shattering of the china echoed in the small room.

"My boy, my boy," the professor cried as she stumbled forward, causing Xander to take a step backwards. "Your aura is breathtaking! It calls to everything around you," her voice fell silent as she studied him more closely. "The things you must _See_ child. Tell me what wonders you _See_."

Xander took several more steps backward to get away from the scary bug-eyed teacher. The last time someone talked about him seeing things, he lost his eye. Xander was in no way ready to repeat that process. But, as his luck would have it, he backed right into one of the armchairs scattered throughout the room. He fell into its spacious seat and the crazy lady continued to advance on him. She didn't seem aware of his fearful response.

"Do you not even know of your power? How could you not? It's wrapped around your very soul," she paused and her eyes started to cloud over. "So beautiful, so precious."

Xander was downright petrified, the lady was going Gollum on him, and that was definitely not good. He was the normal one. He didn't have any power or abilities. That was Buffy and Willow's gig, not his. He was just the support guy, a should to cry on, a nothing…

"Um, I think maybe you need a stronger prescription on your glasses," he suggested.

"No, no. You're so much more, so much…" her voice trailed off. Then she reached out a spindly arm to pat his shoulder. Xander tried to shrug away, but it didn't work. As soon as the tip of her finger brushed his should, an electric spark sizzled in the air and sent a jolt through Xander's entire body. Every nerve ending was screaming, but with one look into Trelawney's eyes, they fell into silence.

Her body was rigid and she stood erect, adding a good two inches to her height. Her eyes looked like a spring thunderstorm as gray clouds started to swirl within them and her pupils gave off a purple glow. A smile formed on her lips as the purple hue bore steadily into his soul.

An unearthly voice came from her lips as she spoke in rhyming verse,

"The protector of man shall bridge the gap,

And with help from the Marauder's map,

He shall serve a blow to the Dark Lord's plot,

And save us all from a precarious spot.

Beware the serpent from inside,

And the trio who believed a bug's lie,

Gain their trust in order to succeed,

Or the _One Who Sees_ will be lost indeed."

As the last word escaped her mouth, Professor Trelawney collapsed to the floor and the gathered energy slingshotted back into Xander's stunned body.

What seemed like days later, but in reality was only a minute, Xander knelt to the floor to check on the motionless teacher. "Thank god!" he breathed when he found a steady pulse.

"Now what to do?" he asked himself out loud. Then it dawned on him as he cried out, "DOBBY!" The annoying house-elf could finally be of some use.

"Mr. Harris, sir? How can Dobby help you sir?" The little elf had just appeared with a loud pop.

"Dobby, I need you to go get Madame Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore," he said rapidly as he watched the elf's eyes grow wide at the scene of Xander kneeling beside the collapsed divination professor. "Now Dobby!" he shouted and the elf disappeared with a crack.

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Xander stood near the infirmary bed, shifting from one foot to the other as Madame Pomfrey concluded her diagnosis. His tension was momentarily released when she told him and Dumbledore that Trelawney just needed rest and a pepper-up potion once she woke to recover from the overextension of her abilities. Then she shooed the two men out the door.

In the corridor, Xander's sense of dread and impending doom returned while he was alone in Dumbledore's presence. "So…" he started.

"It would seem that Sibyll has made another prophecy. Most interesting, most interesting indeed," Dumbledore said as he turned to Xander. "Would you mind joining me in my office Mist… er, Xander," Dumbledore caught himself before calling Xander by his last name as it seemed that greatly displeased the boy. "I find that lemon drops are good to ingest at times such as this. I would also like to speak with you regarding what Sibyll had to say."

"Uh, yeah," mumbled Xander. "Lead the way."

With that, Xander followed in step behind Dumbledore, feeling very much like he was back in high school and on his way to Principle Snyder's office.

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Harry, Hermione and Ron sat in the Room of Requirement waiting for Dobby to show up with his daily report of Professor Harris' activities. While they waited, Hermione filled them in on what she discovered from the _Slayer's Handbook_.

"It said that the slayer is identified by the Watcher's Council at a young age. At that time, she is only a potential. The Council then removes the potential from their family and takes her to a private training facility. There, the potential is taught the skills she will need if she is one day Called as the active slayer. According to the book, the slayer is required to fight alone and the Watcher directs her on the method needed to eradicate the demon threat she is facing. It appears that, even though they are spread worldwide, the Council is a British established group." Hermione stopped and looked up for Ron and Harry's take on the subject.

"Well," Harry said slowly, "that doesn't match up much with Professor Harris or the slayers he claims to have worked with. He's not even British." Before he could add more on that subject, Dobby popped into the room with a crack.

"Mr. Harry Potter! Dobby is sorry he is late sir, but Mr. Harris called Dobby sir."

"He called for you?!" Ron asked incredulously. Harry motioned for him to quiet down.

"Why did Professor Harris call for you Dobby?" Harry carefully questioned the house-elf.

"He was with the Trelawney Professor, sir. She had collapsed in her rooms and he wanted to send for Headmaster Dumbledore for help."

The trio rocked back in their seats. "What would he have been doing with Professor Trelawney in the tower?" Hermione asked.

"And why would she have collapsed?" Harry added, as he tried to figure out the puzzle.

"Dobby knows not, Harry Potter," Dobby added, wringing his hands in front of himself.

"Guess we had better find out ourselves then," Harry said with a thump of his fist onto the desk he had been sitting at.

Casting a look at Ron, who nodded, Hermione stood up beside Harry and rested her hand on his shoulder. "We will help you Harry. Just like we always do."


End file.
